5.  The applicant was born in 1979 and lives in Volzhskiy, Volgograd Region.
6.  On 1 October 2010 the applicant was arrested on suspicion of drug offences.
7.  On 2 October 2010 he was charged with two episodes of attempted drug trafficking, allegedly committed on 7 and 8 September 2010 in conspiracy with others.
8.  On 3 October 2010 Kirovskiy District Court, Astrakhan, (“the District Court”) granted the investigator’s request to place the applicant in detention until 1 December 2010. The District Court held as follows:
“It follows from the evidence provided by the investigator in support of his request for application of a measure of restraint that Mr A.N. Shevchenko is charged with particularly serious criminal offences which represent a significant danger to society and are punishable by deprivation of liberty for a period of five to twelve years.
The charges against the applicant are justified by the report on the detection of the crime, operational search materials, search records, expert reports, and the testimony of Mr A.C. Filenko, which directly implicates Mr Shevchenko in those criminal offences.
Having regard to the above, and also taking into account the circumstances of the case and information on the implication of Mr Shevchenko in the criminal offences, as well as the personality of the defendant, who is not registered as resident in the Astrakhan region and has no job and no dependents, the court has come to the conclusion that at liberty he might abscond and thereby interfere with the proceedings.
Taking into account information about the personality of the defendant and the criminal offences with which he is charged, it is impossible to apply a more lenient measure of restraint.”
9.  On 8 October 2010 a further set of criminal proceedings was initiated against the applicant on suspicion of drug offences allegedly committed between the beginning of September and 1 October 2010.
10.  On 9 October 2010 those proceedings were joined to the first set of proceedings against the applicant.
11.  On 23 November 2010 the District Court extended the applicant’s detention until 20 January 2011. The District Court held as follows:
“Mr A.N. Shevchenko is charged with particularly serious criminal offences punishable by more than two years’ imprisonment.
In taking a decision on this request, the court considers that the investigating authorities reasonably argue that it is impossible to finalise their investigation for objective reasons, such as there being a large number of witnesses and defendants and it being necessary to finish the investigation. The character of the case, its circumstances and the charges [brought against the co-defendants] indicate that the case is particularly complex; this is also due to there being a large number of co‑defendants.
The circumstances which served as the grounds for choosing the measure of restraint in the form of placement in detention have not changed in view of the legal characterisation of the criminal offence. The personality of Mr Shevchenko, his engagement in illegal distribution of narcotic drugs which, as indicated by the evidence, constituted the source of his income, and the absence of any other income, allow the conclusion that the investigator’s request is well founded and that it is necessary to place Mr Shevchenko in isolation from society.
Mr Shevchenko’s term of detention expires on 1 December 2010. This is too short a period of time to carry out planned investigative actions and to take a decision on the charges, and therefore the term of detention of the defendant should be extended.”
12.  In his appeal against that detention order the applicant submitted that the District Court had based its decision on negative assumptions about his future behaviour, and had not taken into account his personality, positive references and permanent place of residence.
13.  On 3 December 2010 the Astrakhan Regional Court (“the Regional Court”) upheld the detention order of 23 November 2010.
14.  On 14 January 2011 the District Court extended the applicant’s detention until 20 March 2011. The District Court held as follows:
“The court takes into account that Mr A.N. Shevchenko is charged with particularly serious criminal offences ... punishable exclusively by deprivation of liberty for up to twelve years, and therefore the court comes to the conclusion that the investigating authorities’ argument, that if released the defendant, fearing punishment, might abscond, since he has no registration or permanent place of residence in the Astrakhan region, is well founded.
The court also takes into account that the criminal case is particularly complex, since it involves several co-defendants, and there should be individual investigations in respect of each co-defendant. In addition, there is a large volume of planned investigating activities.
Having regard to the above, the court comes to the conclusion that there exist no grounds for quashing or altering the measure of restraint.
It has not been established in the court hearing that there exist any factors preventing the applicant from being kept in a remand prison. The grounds on which the measure of restraint was initially applied and extended have not changed.
The court also takes into account that the term of the defendant’s detention is set to expire, whereas the investigation is not yet complete and it is necessary to carry out a number of investigating activities which would require additional time.”
15.  On 17 January 2011 the applicant appealed against the detention order of 14 January 2011 to the Astrakhan Regional Court (“the Regional Court”). The applicant submitted that the court’s conclusion regarding the risk that he would abscond was not supported by specific evidence. The court had not taken into account his positive references, permanent place of residence and his argument that the investigation of the case was delayed intentionally.
16.  On 13 March 2011 the prosecuting authorities terminated the criminal proceedings against the applicant on charges of 2 October 2010 of two episodes of attempted drug trafficking, in the absence of corpus delicti. They considered that the applicant’s actions had to be qualified as illegal purchase and storage of narcotic drugs without purpose of sale.
17.  On 15 March 2011 the District Court extended the applicant’s detention until 20 May 2011. The District Court held as follows:
“The court takes into account that Mr A.N. Shevchenko is charged with offences ... which are punishable by deprivation of liberty for a period of up to twelve years. The court comes to the conclusion that the investigating authorities’ argument, that Mr Shevchenko might abscond because of fear of punishment, is well founded. In addition, Mr Shevchenko has no family or dependents; he has no official employment, and therefore no permanent source of income. Mr Shevchenko has no place of residence nor registration in the territory of Astrakhan or Astrakhan region. Mr Shevchenko has previous convictions, and has an outstanding conviction, all of which characterise him as a person disposed to commit crimes. At present the investigation of the criminal case has not been completed.
The evidence before the court allow the conclusion that there exist no grounds for altering or changing the measure of restraint applied to the defendant.
It has not been established in the court hearing that there are grounds which would prevent the defendant from being held in detention in the remand prison.
The argument submitted by the defence and the defendant, that the defendant had no intention of absconding, are not sufficient to alter the measure of restraint to a preventive measure not involving pre-trial detention.
Having regard to the above, the court comes to the conclusion that it is impossible to apply other measures of restraint, including a written undertaking, personal surety, or bail.
The court also takes into account that a number of investigating activities have been planned in the present case. In addition, within fourteen days of the arrival of the case at the trial court ... a judge has to take a decision about the existence or otherwise of grounds for further extension of the detention ... therefore the court finds it necessary to extend the pre-trial detention in respect of Mr Shevchenko.”
18.  In his appeal against the detention order of 15 March 2011 the applicant submitted that the detention order had not been based on relevant and sufficient reasons.
19.  On 16 March 2011 the applicant was charged with illegal purchase and storage of narcotic drugs without intent to sell.
20.  On 18 March 2011 the Regional Court upheld the detention order of 14 January 2011.
21.  On 23 March 2011 the Regional Court upheld the detention order of 15 March 2011.
22.  On 12 May 2011 the applicant was presented with the final version of the charges against him. He was charged with illegal purchase and storage of particularly large quantities of narcotic drugs without intent to sell.
23.  On the same date the investigation was terminated and the applicant and his co-defendants familiarised themselves with the evidence in the criminal case.
24.  On 17 May 2011 the District Court extended the applicant’s detention until 20 June 2011. The District Court held as follows:
“The court has established that the grounds which were taken into account when the measure of restraint was chosen in respect of defendant A.N. Shevchenko ... have not changed, and therefore the court is not able to change or cancel the measure of restraint. Mr Shevchenko is charged with involvement in a serious crime ... which presents a significant danger to society and is directed against public health and morals. The court finds well founded the investigating authorities’ argument whereby the applicant might abscond because of fear of punishment, since he has no registration or permanent place of residence in Astrakhan or the Astrakhan region. He has no permanent job, family or dependents.
The fact that the charges against Mr Shevchenko were modified and that at present he is charged with illegal drug trafficking without intent to sell cannot serve as a ground for the release of Mr Shevchenko, since that criminal offence also represents a significant danger to society.
The term of the detention of Mr Shevchenko expires on 20 May 2011. This period of time is not sufficient to carry out the investigating and procedural activities referred to by the investigator in his request. Therefore, taking into account the volume and complexity of the criminal case, which involves several co-defendants charged with particularly serious crimes, the court considers that the term of detention should be extended.
There are no grounds to cancel or alter the measure of restraint.
Having regard to the circumstances of the case, the nature of the criminal offence with which Mr Shevchenko is charged, and his personality, the court comes to the conclusion that the term of detention of Mr Shevchenko should be extended for one more month, thus bringing the total length of his detention to eight months and nineteen days, until 20 June 2011.”
25.  On the same date the investigating authorities referred the criminal case to the prosecutor’s office of the Astrakhan region for approval.
26.  In his appeal against the detention order of 17 May 2011 the applicant and his counsel submitted that the court had not supported its conclusions with specific evidence, and that the investigating activities referred to in the decisions had already been carried out. Furthermore, the court had not taken into account the information about his personality and the fact that he had a permanent place of residence in the Volgograd region.
27.  On 25 May 2011 the Regional Court upheld the detention order of 17 May 2011.
28.  On 14 June 2011 the Deputy Prosecutor returned the criminal case to the investigating authorities. He indicated that there were a number of shortcomings in the investigation which needed to be corrected.
29.  On 16 June 2011 the investigation was reopened in order to remedy those shortcomings.
30.  On the same date the District Court further extended the applicant’s detention until 16 September 2011, referring to the same grounds as before.
31.  On 24 June 2011 the Regional Court upheld the detention order of 16 June 2011.
32.  In the first half of July 2011 the investigation was terminated and the applicant familiarised himself with the evidence in the case.
33.  However, on 15 July 2011 the investigation was again reopened in order to correct the personal details of one of the applicant’s co-defendants in various procedural documents.
34.  On 9 August 2011 the investigation was terminated and the case was referred to the Regional Prosecutor, who approved it on 25 August 2011.
35.  On 31 August 2011 the criminal case against the applicant and his co-defendants was referred to the District Court for trial.
36.  On 5 September 2011 the District Court set the preliminary hearing of the case for 12 September 2011. By a decision adopted on the same date the District Court extended the applicant’s and his co-defendants’ detention until 29 February 2012, referring to the seriousness of the charges against them.
37.  On 8 September 2011 the applicant appealed against the detention order of 5 September 2011. He submitted that the charges of attempted drug trafficking had been abandoned, that he was now charged with illegal purchase and storage of narcotic drugs without purpose of sale, that the investigation had been completed and it was now impossible for him to interfere with the proceedings.
38.  On 20 September 2011 the District Court referred the criminal case for examination on the merits to the Sovetskiy District Court, Astrakhan, on the grounds that the majority of criminal offences impugned to the defendants had been committed in the Sovetskiy District.
39.  On 20 October 2011 the Regional Court upheld the detention order of 5 September 2011.
40.  On 14 February 2012 the Sovetskiy District Court extended the applicant’s and his co-defendant’s detention until 29 May 2012, referring to the same grounds as in the previous detention orders.
41.  On 18 February 2012 the applicant appealed against the detention order of 14 February 2012. He submitted, in particular, that the Sovetskiy District Court had issued a collective detention order without analysing his individual situation, and had not supported its conclusions with specific evidence.
42.  On 2 April 2012 the Sovetskiy District Court found the applicant guilty of purchase and storage of drugs, and sentenced him to three years’ imprisonment.
43.  On 12 April 2012 the Regional Court upheld the detention order of 14 February 2012.
44.  On 21 June 2012 the Regional Court upheld the applicant’s conviction.
45.  On 13 February 2013 the Tagilstroyevskiy District Court, Nizhniy Tagil, granted the applicant’s request for early release.